Social Media vs SEO

I attended an event today hosted by @fatBuzz to debate the merits of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) vs Social Media. The official brief being:

“We are often asked where businesses should spend their online marketing budget – Social Media or Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)? So rather than battling it out for your budgets, regular New Media Breakfast speakers Gordon White(in the social media corner) and Tim Barlow(in the SEO corner) will take it in turns to share their (or your) very best online marketing tips in an attempt to win your vote. He who gets the most votes wins. He who wins?…well that’s still to be decided.”

What they didn’t say is that I’d have to wake up at 6:00am in order to make it in time; but they did provide free bacon rolls so all is forgiven. As you all hopefully know, at 4c we work hard both on the SEO and Social Media side to engage our clients and help students at local Universities attain an insight to the goings on within a design consultancy. Ultimately as a business we feel this creates a buzz about our company leading to not only more work, but also work more in line with our strengths.

This event was right up our ally; listening to professionals fight it out for where we should direct our energies. The conclusion as Tweeted at the event:

Ok it was me that tweeted it, but it is none the less valid as Tim and Gordon confirmed. SEO and Social Media go hand in hand, they both benefit one another and to be a truly innovative and social business you must do both.